Bottle gourd is also popularly known as the white-flowered gourd or calabash gourd. It is one of the first cultivated plants of the world and has been domesticated for over 10,000 years in Africa. It was domesticated earlier than livestock and food crops and was most likely brought to the America and the areas surrounding it by Paleo Indians at the end of the Ice Age. In China, it is also known as Opo, Hulu and Mao Gua. In the Philippines, it is referred to as Upo and in Italy as Cucuzza.

Bottle gourd has always been regarded as one of the healthiest vegetables. This vegetable is extremely healthy as it contains about 96% water. It is pale, smooth and has a waxy green surface and white spongy pulp. It has been used for ages as a staple in the Indian cuisine. It is also known as Lauki, Ghia or Doodhi in India. The fruits of some varieties of bottle gourd can grow more than 3 feet long. Bottle gourd is a fast-growing climber that requires sufficient sunlight for flowering and fruiting. It can be grown in a variety of soils and needs the support of trellis to spread. Its intensely branched stems bear musky, deep green and broad leaves which are very similar to that of pumpkins. After about 75 days from planting the vegetable, young, tender, edible fruits sprout and that’s when they are ready to be harvested.

The young fruits are usually cooked as a vegetable. The dried shells of mature gourds are made into water bottles, spoons, pipes, and many other domestic utensils and containers, birdhouses, fancy ornaments, lamps and musical instruments.

The best time to have bottle gourd juice is in the morning. It is important to consume the juice almost immediately after it is prepared, as it oxidizes quite fast. In India, the largest cultivator of this plant is Bihar and it accounts for about 26% of the total country’s production.

Some basic facts about Bottle Gourd:

• Botanical name: Lagenaria siceraria
• Family: Gourd family
• Sanskrit name: क्षीरतुम्बी (Kshirtumbi) or अलाबू (Alabu)
• Common name: Lauki or kaddu. White-flowered gourd or calabash gourd, bottle gourd, long melon, New Guinea bean, and Tasmania bean.
• Native region and geographical distribution: Bottle gourd is known to have originated in Southern Africa. It is grown in the tropical and subtropical areas of the world.

from myUpchar.com के स्वास्थ्य संबंधी लेख
via https://www.myupchar.com/tips/lauki-juice-benefits-and-side-effects-in-hindi/